As summer begins and visitors start flocking to Dolphin Quest, the programme must end its free student visits -- but only until October.

For the Discover Dolphins initiative, designed for primary six pupils, held its last adventure yesterday.

Between January and yesterday, some 13 schools took part in the programme which aimed to teach youngsters both about dolphins and other marine mammals while reminding them to keep the ocean and beaches trash-free.

Twenty-five West End Primary School students, along with teacher Tredick Tucker, were the last group to visit Dolphin Quest this season.

"Education is a major part of our mission statement,'' said instructor Kim Anderson. "The whole purpose of Dolphin Quest is to educate the public through interaction.

"Discover Dolphins provides the students with a full morning learning and a chance to meet the dolphins.'' And she added that the programme had nothing but "positive input'' from all who attended.

Before spending the day at Dolphin Quest, each class was given a pre-trip lesson to be completed at school.

With help from a copy of "Zoobooks: Whales'', the students learned about various species of dolphins and whales, the fact they are all classified as cetaceans and their five common characteristics.

By the end of the lesson, the students could identify different species and recall that all mammals breathe air, stay the same temperature, have hair, give birth to live babies, and nurse their young with milk.

With their excitement mounting, the students finally made the journey to Dolphin Quest -- a spot off Whaler Inn.

Each class was met by Dolphin Quest staff who welcomed them to the facility before leading them to the Discovery Room.

Once broken up into smaller groups, the students were given a pack of mammal cards with each set portraying a different mammal characteristic.

One card in each packet did not belong with the rest.

The students spread the cards out on the floor and were asked to determine which of the cards was not supposed to be there and which of the five characteristics matched their packet.

An activity on marine debris was next on the agenda during which the pupils found out just how long it takes certain items such as plastic and glass to decompose.

Then came the most exciting part -- the dolphin demonstration.

The students were accompanied by staff to the dolphin habitat and were given the opportunity to meet and learn about several of the facility's dolphins.

The staff even taught the youngsters various hand signals which instructed the dolphins to do somersaults, clap, wave and swim around in circles.

Remembering all they had been taught on keeping the beaches and ocean clean, the students then combed the shoreline for trash.

A short break for punch and snacks was followed by more activities in the Discovery Room.

The students went on to learn about the diversity and ranges of different species and why dolphins and whales have the features they do.

They were told that the mammals streamlined shape was for efficient movement through the water, their blubber was for insulation, their flukes (tails) were for swimming power, their dorsal fin for stabilisation, their pectoral flippers for steering and stopping, their blowholes for breathing and their eyes -- found on the sides of the head near the mouth -- for good vision both above and underwater.

Specimen boxes allowed the students to handle a number of contents, including killer whale teeth, fish samples, krill (a humpback whale's favourite food) and an x-ray of a dolphin's pectoral flipper -- which has the same bones as a human's hand and arm.

The pupils then selected one out of four activity groups to join.

The "Learning Centres'' allowed the youngsters to learn about the food web, food pyramid and various whale words.

The "Games'' section gave them the chance to play board games Cetacean Concentration, Discover Dolphins, Diving Dominoes and Humpback Migration.

The students could also take time out to look at books or practice drawing different cetaceans.

A National Geographic video entitled "Dolphins'' was shown to each class before they ate lunch and left the facility.

But their dolphin discovery did not end there.

Each class received a post-trip lesson at school which enabled them to reflect on the experience and share their thoughts with friends.

The lesson also outlined the relationship of the dolphin anatomy to both behaviour and environment as well as ways to help with marine conservation.

The teachers were asked to send their students' completed sheets back to Dolphin Quest for follow-up.

Ms Anderson said the Dolphin Quest staff hoped to have next season's programme up and running by October.

For further information contact 236-6957.

MAKING A SPLASH -- Cirrus the dolphin soaks a group of West End Primary School pupils during the last student session of Dolphin Quest this season.

Graphic file name: DOLL1 HIGH JUMPER -- Khyber the dolphin shows off his backward wiggle to a group of West End Primary School pupils this week.

Graphic file name: DOLFERZ